After their meeting ended, Ren said a polite, but simple farewell. The lack of personal conversation made things much easier on him, but he still felt grateful to leave. He marked the date three days away in his phone then drove back to his apartment, taking the elevator up to one of the top floors in the large building. It wasn't what most people expected, but then, he shared so little about himself that most people didn't know what to expect with him at all.

Ren dropped onto the large sofa in the main room, staring out at the spacious room, then down to the hall and the pane of windows opposite of it. The city spread out below him, somewhat pretty, but still dull. He never dragged up the effort to cover the panes in blinds like he always thought he would. Beautiful furniture, sparkling appliances, space, so much space--it was a gift from his parents that he never asked for. Sometimes it felt too big, especially after being in Tristian's cluttered studio. Ren groaned and finally got up to get himself some food and change his clothes.

For a second, he found himself staring the mark on top of his foot. Three peacock feathers seemed like such a strange things, but in its own way, the mark looked more beautiful than any art. He never cared for paintings or designs, but the wisps of the feathers filled him with a quiet energy. Ren brushed a finger against the top of his foot before slipping on a pair of socks and putting the thought of soulmates out of his head once again. Thoughts like that only made him feel more empty inside than he already knew he was.